Judges 5

The Song of Deborah and Barak

1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

2 "That the leaders led in Israel,
That the people volunteered,
Bless the LORD!

3 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers!
I-to the LORD, I will sing,
I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

4 "LORD, when You went out from Seir,
When You marched from the field of Edom,
The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped,
Even the clouds dripped water.

5 "The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD,
This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.

6 "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted,
And travelers went by roundabout ways.

7 "The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Until I arose, a mother in Israel.

8 "New gods were chosen;
Then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or a spear was seen
Among forty thousand in Israel.

9 "My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel,
The volunteers among the people;
Bless the LORD!

10 "You who ride on white donkeys,
You who sit on rich carpets,
And you who travel on the road-sing!

11 "At the sound of those who divide flocks among the watering places,
There they shall recount the righteous deeds of the LORD,
The righteous deeds for His peasantry in Israel.
Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.

12 "Awake, awake, Deborah;
Awake, awake, sing a song!
Arise, Barak, and take away your captives, O son of Abinoam.

13 "Then survivors came down to the nobles;
The people of the LORD came down to me as warriors.

14 "From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek came down,
Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples;
From Machir commanders came down,
And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of office.

15 "And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As was Issachar, so was Barak;
Into the valley they rushed at his heels;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.

16 "Why did you sit among the tsheepfolds,
To hear the piping for the flocks?
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great searchings of heart.

17 "Gilead remained across the Jordan;
And why did Dan stay in ships?
Asher sat at the seashore,
And remained by its landings.

18 "Zebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death,
And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.

19 "The kings came and fought;
Then fought the kings of Canaan
At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo;
They took no plunder in silver.

20 "The stars fought from heaven,
From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 "The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
O my soul, march on with strength.

22 "Then the horses' hoofs beat
From the dashing, the dashing of his valiant steeds.

23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD,
'Utterly curse its inhabitants;
Because they did not come to the help of the LORD,
To the help of the LORD against the warriors.'

24 "Most blessed of women is Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
Most blessed is she of women in the tent.

25 "He asked for water and she gave him milk;
In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

26 "She reached out her hand for the tent peg,
And her right hand for the workmen's hammer.
Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head;
And she shattered and pierced his temple.

27 "Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;
Between her feet he bowed, he fell;
Where he bowed, there he fell dead.

28 "Out of the window she looked and lamented,
The mother of Sisera through the lattice,
'Why does his chariot delay in coming?
Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?'

29 "Her wise princesses would answer her,
Indeed she repeats her words to herself,

30 'Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil?
A maiden, two maidens for every warrior;
To Sisera a spoil of dyed work,
A spoil of dyed work embroidered,
Dyed work of double embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?'

31 "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD;
But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might."
And the land was undisturbed for forty years.

Judges 5

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2 For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah.

3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah; I will sing praise to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

4 Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.

5 The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.

7 The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye Jehovah.

10 Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets, And ye that walk by the way.

11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

13 Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people; Jehovah came down for me against the mighty.

14 Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal’s staff.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

16 Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, And abode by his creeks.

18 Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan. In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money.

20 From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

22 Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

26 She put her hand to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head; Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; At her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she returned answer to herself,

30 Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.